Heroic Duties
by Nickelman
Summary: 16 year old Charlie Richards finds a mysterious notebook which leads him on the adventure of a lifetime. With the help of a Shinigami named Levi, he becomes the fated superhero Necros, on a mission to make the streets of Miami safe again...
1. Till the Day You Die

**D E A T H N O T E:**

_**Heroic Duties**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. But I do own **a** Death Note, so keep reading...

...or else.

* * *

_...the only thing I never really liked about comic books, the fates of the villians._

My name is Charles Stamford Richards, and I was about 16 when this whole crazy story began. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, a little town you might've heard of on the news, home to Necrose, savior to some, menace to others, hero to all.

You wanna know a secret?

At one time, I was Necrose.

But I get ahead of myself. I suppose I should start at the begining by way of flashback, as is custom of naritives such as these...

-------

A trip to the comic book shop was not unusal for me. I took the bus down to Redeemer Comics and Games about 3 to 4 times a week. Sometimes I'd go to play a card game or something, but most of the time I'd just go to chill with friends, maybe just chat it up with the owner, Tom. On this fateful day I was enthralled in this month's copy of Detective Comics (that's the Batman one for those unfamilliar). Once again the caped crusader sends another villian to Arkam Asylum, home of the criminaly insane. Of course, they never stay there for long because in another twenty issues they'll just be back again, stronger than ever.

That's the only thing I never really liked about comic books, the fates of the villians.

I mean, it's understandable, the whole reasoning behind why heroes almost never finish their enemies, violence just leads to more violence, right? But unless you just let go of the Joker's hand as he hangs off the roof Gotham PD, he's just going to keep coming back.

So I'm at Redeemer's, reading, but I think our audience would perfer something a tiny bit more interesting. Take for instance, a couple of extradimensional demons fighting over a bet?

-----

"RRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! RYUK!!! COME BACK HERE WITH MY MONEY!!!"

"Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk..." A demon-like apparition clad in black leather and wearing a constant shark toothed grin held a jingling bag of silver bones in his hand as he flew gracefully through the bright blue sky on a pair of elegant black wings.

"Ryuk, if you don't honor your wager and give me those bones, I will tear your freaky legs off!" another figure pursued the creature, this one wore what appeared to be tattered brown robes, his body wrapped and covered in steel chains which fluttered behind him in the sky. These chains appeared to be his means of levitation. The demon also wore a dark red blindfold over his eyes above a mouth that was long, wide, and goulish that would not ever close all the way, even when he spoke.

"I don't think the Old Man would take too kindly to that, Levi." Ryuk turned to his pursuer and chuckled.

"Since when do you care what He thinks?"

"Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk, hyuk..."

"Last I heard, you're on his blacklist."

"Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk..."

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!?"

Ryuk pointed down to the earth below.

"You dropped something..."

Levi's head snapped down.

"WHAT!?" He instantly darted downwards, forgetting about the money. "Please don't let it land yet, please, please, please," he begged fate as he raced downwards trying to catch up to the dropped property. As he came closer and closer to the ground, his head jerked about, searching. Levi let his feet drop down into the middle of the busy street.

"Oh crap..."

-----

"Oh, crap dude. I think I dropped my phone," I said aloud, searching my red hoody's pockets franticly. "Hey, can everyone just give a look under the tables and stuff?" the patrons complied and came up with shrugged shoulders and faux sorry expressions. "Alright, maybe I dropped it on my way in, I'll be right back," I said as I walked out into the parking lot, scanning the ground. That's when I first laid eyes on it. The little black notebook that would change my life forever.

"Hey Tom," I walked back into the store flipping through the pages of the book I had just found in the parking lot. It was entirely black, front to cover, and had what appeared to be blank notebook pages.

"Hey Chuck, you find it?" Tom asked ringing someone up at the register.

"Pshh, no I didn't. I did find a notebook though! It _almost _makes up for me losing a 200 dollar phone..."

"Sorry kid,"

"Whatever, it's all good," I picked up my backpack and slipped the book inside. "I've got a bus to catch anyways. See you guys later." as I left the store, Levi sat, perched atop a gas station across the street.

"Damn, now I'm gonna have stick with this punk kid for the next 64 years..." Levi sighed, "Might as well get goin'," the chains on his back began levitate and rattle violently, and with that Levi soared off, trailing the bus.

-----

"Come on, where the hell are you?!" I hissed to myself as I threw the pillow off of my bed. "Damn it, dude..." I'd given up trying to find my phone for the moment and decided plop down on my bed and turn on the TV for some quality mid-day programming. That's when something slid across the floor...

"Hm?" I got up, and looked at the hardwood floor in front of my dresser. It was my cell phone, and it was coming to a spinning stop. Confused, I walked over and picked it up. My eyes wandered over to the bottom of the bed where the bedspread met the floor. '_It's probably just the cat'_, I thought to myself, but something in my gut told me that wasn't the case. Slowly and carefully I got down on my knees and lifted the sheet, peeking under my bed with one eye. Nothing. Releived, I sat up straight.

_"Shkee he he he he,"_

I quickly threw the sheets off the bed and looked under once again.

_"Boo!"_

"ARRRRHHHHHHH!!!" I jumped back, and slammed my head onto the TV stand behind me. The adreniline fueled fear from what I had just seen drowned out the pain momentarily.

"Charlie!!!" My mom barged ino my room suddenly. "I heard something, are you okay?!" she asked, her voice full of mother-like worry. My eyes stayed glued to the bed for a few seconds, but to my supprise, nothing was there. I rubbed the back of my head with my hand.

"Uhhh, yeah, I was just cleaning up, and I slipped on my sheets,"

"Oh baby," Mom helped me up, "Let's get an icepack on you. I hope you don't have a concusion..." she said as we walked out of the room.

"You know what mom? It's not that bad, I think I'll live, heh heh..."

"Well, are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said, throwing the displaced sheets back on the bed. "I think I'll just finish up here, maybe head to Jeff's later."

"All right," she said wearily, "Just be carefull, all right? And if you start to feel dizzy, come right downstairs."

"Alright mom,"

"Alright," she kissed me on the cheek, "Just make sure to be back by 7:00, we're going out to eat when your dad gets home," as she headed back down the hall, I took a moment to compose myself.

"What the hell _was _that?"I asked myself before walking back into my room. "Oh well, here goes nothing..."

_"Hi there!" _I was given a startled jump as my eyes met the towering, slumped monster in the middle of my room. _"I'm not gonna hurt you, just get in here and shut the door." _I looked the apparition up and down for the next few seconds. Levi's brow furrowed under his blindfold. _"Look, are you coming in or am I gonna have to eat you?" _I walked in and put my back against the door right away.

_"Shkee he he he," _Levi gave a sort of hissing chuckle, _"I was just kidding about the whole eating you thing..."_

"What _are _you?"

_"Me? My name is Levi. I'm a Shinigami, and I believe you have something that belongs to me."_

"The notebook..."

_"Shkee he he he, you got it kid,"_

"Wait, are you saying you're a Shinigami, like in that anime, Death Gods?"

_"Something like that, I don't really know. I find your human's fiction to be rediculous," _Levi said with a snort.

"So, you want it back?"

_"Just the opposite, kid, it was yours the moment you touched it,"_

"Oh man," I sat down. "Am I cursed?"

"Shkee he he he," Levi's gaping mouth rose into a smile, "Only if you want to be..."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain, this book..." the Shinigami held the notebook and threw it to me. "...is the Death Note."

"Death Note..."

_"You see, whichever human's name is written is this book," _he paused for dramatic effect._ "WILL DIE!" _My eyes widened. _"And it's ever so easy to use," _He quipped with sarcasam._ "Simply scibe the person you wish to kill's name on the page, imagine their face, write any details about the death you may want to include in the next 40 seconds (otherwise they'll just die of a heart attack), and let destiny do the work for you. It's as easy as that." _Levi began to walk around, exploring the room.

"What's the catch?"

_"Shkee he he, you're sure on the ball kid. Well, aside from the terror only owners of a Death Note will experience, and not being able to go to heaven or hell, no catch."_

"Wait, heaven and hell exsists?"

_"Yeah, I really can't go into that. But hey, that's a lot of power kid. If you want it, it's yours, if not, just find someone else to take it..."_

"Wow..."

_"It's a lot to take in, huh?"_ Levi picked up and inspected a marshmello from a bag on my desk.

"Yeah," I looked back up from the Death Note. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

_"Shkeee,"_ the Shinigami gave an indignant hiss. _"You've got all the time in the world kid,"_ he popped the marshmello into his mouth. _"Mmmmm! These are good!"_ I gave him a blank stare.

"Sooooo.. you're not staying here, are you?"

_"Shkee he he he, 'till the day you die kid, 'till the day you die..."_

* * *

Heheehheheh, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Pending a good reveiw or two, the next chapter'll be out shortly! PEACE! 


	2. Listen to Yourself, Kid

**D E A T H N O T E**

_**Heroic Duties**_

Here's chapter two, up, hot and fresh!

------

_...and when the time comes, no matter the consequences, you just have to do the right thing. That's what makes a hero._

------

"Dude, you are so full of it! The Kingpin has way more influence than Lex Luthor!"

"What are you talking about? Lex Luthor is a trillionare!"

"Man, it's not about money. It's about connections, and street cred."

"Street cred?"

"Yeah, the Kingpin pretty much owns New York, he has men all over the country, and on top of that, the Kingpin has his share of bank too."

"I dunno, it-"

"HEY!" The kid sitting behind Jeff and I on the schoolbus leaned over his seat. "Would you two geeks mind shutting the hell up for two freakin' minutes, eh?"

"Penejos, man, both of 'em," his freind added.

"Heh heh, yeah, right?"

_"Shkee he he, you gonna let 'em talk to you like that, kid? I mean, you did bring it with you, didn't you?" _Levi asked, grinning.

"Shut up," I muttered as I turned back around.

"WHAT'D YOU JUST SAY!?" the student leaned forward, about two inches away from my face. "After we get off the bus," he paused for a moment then added, while covering my face with spittle, "...you're dead." He sat back down. I glared at Levi.

_"Shkee heh heh heh heh," _he chuckled deviously.

------

There I sat in the nurse's office, holding an ice-pack over my left eye and a tissue to my lip.

_"Geez, you humans really go all out when it comes to this kinda stuff, don't ya?" _I ignored Levi for the moment, checking my tissue for blood.

"Charlie!" my mom came through the clinic door. "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

"Got into a fight mom," I muttered.

"Excuse me?" I looked up to her.

"I-got-in-to-a-fight," I made sure she could hear me perfectly.

"All right, come on. You're comming home." Mom didn't say a word to me untill we got out to the car. "Listen, I've have to get alllll the way back to the other side of town to work, and on top of that, beat the lunch rush traffic." She pointed her finger at me before getting into the car. "So you can take the bus home, mister."

"Oh come on..."

"You heard me." She started the car. "We're going to have a talk when you get home," and with that, she was off.

_"Shkee hee hee, I suppose we'd better get going,"_

------

"So I'm stuck with you either untill I die or give up the Death Note, huh?"

_"That's about the size of it, kid," _Levi said, floating above my head in a creepy manner.

"Well I can't just let it go. What if a gang member finds it or something?"

_"Oh, that'd be bad... I guess," _he replied boredly, doing slow barrel rolls through the air.

"But I can't use it either..."

Levi sighed, _"Whatchya gonna do..."_

Eventually we made it to the bus stop. I sat down at the bench, took a copy of Cable and Deadpool out of my backpack and began to read. Levi loomed over my shoulder.

_"Geez Chuck, what is it that you and those other humans like so much about these things anyway?"_

"I dunno, Levi. I guess they just kinda take you away from boring, mundane, reality. You know?"

_"Boring and mundane reality? Kid, you have a notebook that magically kills people."_

"You know, Levi, I don't even know if you really exsist or not. You could just be some delusion brought from the head trauma I reciceived when I first met you. This whole thing could be a coma dream for all I know."

_"Listen to yourself kid, does that make any kind of sense?"_

I shook my head, "I don't even know anymore..." I continued to sit and read quietly. It was the middle of the day, so I was pretty much all alone.

"HEY!!!" a shout came from across the street.

"I said, give me the goddamn watch!!!"

"No! My boyfriend gave me this! He's dead!" a woman was on the ground, a ratty looking man was holding a revolver to her face.

"Bitch, did I ask you for your life story!? The watch!!!"

"NOOOOO!"

"Hey!" I got up without even thinking. The man looked across the street.

"What?!" I suddenly froze up. I couldn't talk, move, or anything. "Mind your buisness, fool!" he yelled, turning his attention back to the woman.

_"Shkee hee hee, oh you crazy humans..."_

"Levi,"

_"Yeah?"_

"Do you know what that guy's name is?"

_"Yup,"_

"Give it to me,"

_"No can do, kid,"_ he replied nanchalantly.

"What!? Why the hell not!?"

_"Because, it's against the rules..."_

"She's gonna die!"

_"I know,"_

I watched as the man continued to terrorize the girl, his frustration, building. I could tell he was liable to shoot her at any moment.

_"But..."_

"But? Hurry up! What!?"

_"You could, for a price..."_

"What are you waiting for? Tell me!"

_"All you have to do is give me half of your remaining lifespan, kid. Then I'll give you the eyes of a Shinigami. You'll be able to see anyone's name and however long they have left to live. That's all."_

"That's fine! Just do it!"

"Alright," Levi grabbed the top of my head with his giant clawed hand. Sudenly, an unbearable pain seared across my eyes. "ARRRRHHHHGGGG!!!" I clutched my face as I dropped to my knees. The mugger aimed his gun across the street.

"I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!!!"

**BANG**

The shot rang out as the bullet missed me and zoomed through Levi's chest.

_"Hey! I'm tryin' watch the show over here!" _Levi yelled, shaking his fist at the mugger.

My hands shaking, left my face as I rose to my feet.

"Levi, the Death Note," I demanded sternly.

_"It's about time..." _the Shinigami reached through the backback and threw me the book. Quickly, I caught it, opened it to the first page, and began to write in the first line;

**Darnell Maury - 12:13 PM**

The woman was able to get away, but the mugger still stood, aiming his gun at me. Then...

"Graaaahhhh!" Suddenly, he clutched his chest, began to foam at the mouth, and fell to the ground, into a fetal position.

"Oh my God, it works..." I said to myself as I watched the man stop moving.

_"Of course it works. You thought I was just following you around for kicks?"_

"We need to get out of here." I said as I collected my things and began to walk quickly away.

_"Shkee hee hee hee. I'm right behind ya, kid."_

That day, I realized the true potential of the Death Note. When I saw that man about to kill that woman (who, by the way, only had four minutes left alive before I interfered), something inside of me surfaced; a need to see justice done, no matter what happened to me. When one has a power like the Death Note, it's their duty to use that kind of power for good. There's a defining moment in everyone's life, and when that time comes, no matter the consequences, you just have to do the right thing. That's what makes a hero.

------

"There's no turning back now, is there Levi?"

_"Nope. The moment your pen hit that page, that was it." _Levi floated around my kitchen, searching through the cabinets. _"Hey, you got any more of those puffy, white things you had in your room?"_

"I have no choice but to use it now..."

_"There's always a choice, kid," _Levi replied, sticking his head through the pantry. _"It's all just a matter of what you want more." _he popped his head back out, and reached his hand in to pull out a bag of marshmellows. _"Shkee hee hee hee hee, jackpot." _He began to fumble with the bag, _"But hey, what do I know? I you want to give it up, I'll just wipe your memory and you can live the rest of your substantially shorter life in ignorant bliss."_

"No, I can't do that. I have to use this..." I picked up the Death Note. "...for the good of mankind."

_"The good of mankind huh? Sounds interesting..."_

"But I'm going to need your help, Levi."

_"Shkree he he he! My help? Hhhmmm..." _He popped another marshmello into his mouth. _"Tell ya what kid. You keep me supplied with these 'puffies', and I'll see what I can do." _A smile crept across my face.

"They're called marshmellows," I added with a chuckle.

"I call 'em delicious."

* * *

Chapter two, please reveiw! Next time, POW! ZING! BAFF! Necrose is born! 


	3. Paid in Puffies

**D E A T H N O T E**

_**Heroic Duties**_

Chapter 3, up for thee!

------

_"People need someone to give them hope, and someone to give them some assurance that there's still such a thing as justice in this world..."_

------

Up in my room after school, I had decided to go over the plan with Levi. He sat there on my floor, happily muching away on a big bag of 'puffies' (I can't get him to stop calling them that).

"Alright, Levi. Here's where we're at. I have a Death Note. I've already used it once, traded half my remaining lifespan for your 'Shinigami eyes', which by the way, have strangley enough improved my regular eyesight to superhuman levels..."

_"You're welcome."_

"...and on top of that, you've agreed to help me in exchange for... marshmellows."

_"Hey, I said I'll see what I can do. That doesn't mean I'll be jumping in front of any trains for you. Shkee hee hee. Of course, that wouldn't hurt me much anyways..."_

"Focus, Levi. I've decided..." I said before taking a deep breath.

_"Yeah?"_

"I'm becoming..."

Levi was on the edge of his seat.

"...a superhero." Levi's goulish jaw dropped to the floor.

_"Wha-!?"_

"Here's the plan; Step 1: Find a costume."

_"Hold on, hold on..." _Levi dropped his marshmellows and stood up. _"You're saying you want to be a superhero, like those guys from your comic books?"_

"Yes, that's what I'm saying exactly."

_"I think you've gone coo-coo bannanas, kid."_

"People need someone to give them hope, and someone to give them some assurance that there's still such a thing as justice in this world, especially around here. The crime rate has gone way up, the police aren't doing their jobs. The world needs this, Levi."

_"And so you're planning to accomplish this by running around in tights and getting old ladies' cats out of trees."_

"In so many words, yup." I threw him a paper bag filled to the rim with marshmello snacks. His brow raised as he picked up the bag, clutching it tightly.

_"All right, I'm in."_

"Great, so as I was saying. I need a costume in order to a) protect my identity, and b) serve as a symbol of the forces good and justice, but in order to do this, I need someone who can sew, which _I_ can't do, and I can't have anyone else do it, because no one, and I mean no one can know about this..."

_"Grrr, mhph hmmm hm mhph..."_ Levi muttered incoherently.

"What's that?"

_"I said," _Levi sighed, _"I can make you a costume..."_

"What!?"

_"Yeah, it was kinda my job in the Shinigami realm to change the appearences of other Shinigami. You'd be supprised how incredibly vein Death Gods are."_

"Ha! This is gonna be soooooooo cool!"

_"Yeah, yeah," _Levi emptied the rest of the bag of marshmellows into his mouth._ "Alright, what kinda motif are you going for here?"_

"Well," I put my fist to my chin in thought. "You look really cool, could I have a costume like yours?"

_"Really? You think I look cool? Shkee hee hee hee, alright. Hold on a second." _Levi held his open palms out in front of him. _"Here we go..." _suddenly, my body began to glow brighter and brighter before the glow ended in a flash. _"There you are, check it out." _I walked over to the full body mirror on my door. It was awsome! I wore a tight dark redish brown bodysuit with large robe sleves starting at the wrist circled with a thick white stripe and clawed gloves. The suit also came draped in chains, which strangley enough, were entirely weightless. The pants were designed similarly to the top, flaring at the bottom and wrapped loosley with chains down to the calves. It came with a dark red blindfold, just like Levi's with a golden eye printed on it that I could see through perfectly, and my hair was now long, hanging over the headband and snow white, also like Levi's.

_"Well, whaddya think, kid?"_ Levi asked, a look of goulish anticipation on his face.

"Levi," I couldn't take my eyes off the mirror. "I look AWSOME!!!"

_"Shke Heh heh heh, I knew you'd like it. So, what now?"_

"Now, I write scripts." I said as I turned around, checking out the other side of my relflection.

_"Scripts?"_

"Yup," I tore myself away from the mirror and walked over to my computer. "You said I could control my target's actions 23 days untill their death, right?"

_"Yeah,"_

"Well,"I got on the internet on went onto the Miami PD website. "If I can specify where the criminal will be at what time, I don't have to worry about just going out and looking for trouble directy, and on top of that, I can direct a climactic battle with the perp where I emerge victorious."

_"Sounds elaborate. But why a big fight scene?"_

"To dampen criminal morale, of course. If there's this all powerfull superhero going around taking out villians, no one's gonna be out on the street commiting crimes."

_"You just wanna play superhero, don't you?"_

"No time to chat, Levi. _Necrose_ has work to do."

------

**Laird Gervais - heart attack**

**Gevais attempts to rob a conveinence store where he meets Necrose...**

"Hurry up! The cash, in the bag!" A tall, bald, muscled man held a gun to the lone Indian cashieer.

"All right, all right. Please be calm." the clerk said as his shaking hands tried to open the register.

"Just hurry up, before my finger slips," Laird said with venom.

"HA!" a voice called out. "I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you! You don't need money where you're headed!"

"Who said that!?"

"Don't be alarmed evildooer, that was only the voice of your final judgement..." The man, hearing this, ran outside.

"That's it! Come out ya freak!"

"Hmmm? Assault, trafficing of narcotics, manslaughter? Oh, this doesn't bode well for you Laird..."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you Laird, for instance how long you have left to LIVE!"

**...Necrose engages him in hand to hand combat in which Necrose will have the upper hand and emerge victorious. The man will die of a heart attack after hearing the words "Final Judgement".**

I jumped out from the ally from ontop a stack of boxes towards the criminal. My fist connected with the criminal's left cheek.

"Oough!" startled, Gervais dropped his gun, giving me a chance to kick it away and upercut him in the jaw. The impact hurt my hand, but that didn't matter. Then, in that moment, I was no longer just some geeky comic book nerd, I was Necrose, keeper of truth and justice, and Necrose feared nothing.

"Wait! Stop! Stay away!" the man said as he crawled away from me on his back.

"Hmf! Afraid now, Laird? What ever happened to that ruthless killer I saw was watching a minute ago back in the store?"

"No! No! I wasn't going to kill him! I swear!"

"Now Laird, you and I both know that isn't true..." I said as I stood above him, arms crossed.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"I am..." I projected my voice so any witnesses could hear, "...the savior of the night and mystic passer of divine judgement. I am **NECROSE!**"I gave the signal to Levi, raising my arms to my sides.

Levi sighed. _"The things I do for puffies..." _the Shinigami grabbed onto the chains on my back and began to float upwards, taking me with him. To the small crowd of bystanders that had gathered and the clerk of the convinence store, it would appear I was levitating in thin air.

"And now, for your FINAL JUDGMENT!" I boomed, pointing a clawed finger at the man.

"Graaaahh!" Gervias clutched his chest and writhed on the ground. The bystanders by this point had taken to recording the encounter on their cell phones. I snapped my head to look at them. Without missing a beat, the crowd dispersed, scattering in all different directions.

"Thank you, Necrose! Thank you!" the clerk yelled, waving at the flying hero before him. I gave a nod and flew off above the buildings and beyond the horrizon.

------

_"Skee he he he. So Chuck, everything go according to plan?" _

"Ha! Haaahahah!" I laughed as I stood on the edge of a skyscraper downtown. "Everything went perfectly as planned without a single hitch! I was able to sneak out, get the bad guy, make my pressence known..." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Levi began to munch.

_"You're not gonna start getting cocky, are ya kid?"_

"No, I know better than that. It just feels good, ya know? I think I might actually be able to make a difference..."

_"Well, that's what it's all about, isn't it?"_

"You may not be able to understand, Levi, but humanity deserves to, no, humanity has the right to live without people like Laird Gervias."

"I guess you have your work cut out for you then..."

"Levi, this is the begining of a new age of justice, and I will be the one to lead the people of this fine city towards it..."

_"Man, you really like that word, don't you?"_

* * *

A new age of justice, huh? See what Chuck means in chapter 4, comming soon! 


End file.
